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Tag: Inec

  • INEC working on new salary structure for staff – Jega

    INEC working on new salary structure for staff – Jega

    The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Monday in Abuja said the commission was working on new salary structure for its members of staff.

    Jega, who made this disclosure during an interactive session with editors and news directors, said that this would go a long way to enhance their performances.

    He said that the commission had screened its personnel to determine those who would be eligible to be part of the 2015 general elections.

    According to him, the screening was necessary to enable the commission conduct a free, fair and credible elections.

    He said the commission had committed members of staff who were determined  to conduct of credible elections.

    The INEC chairman explained that the commission had commenced training and re-training of staff  through bridge workshops.

    He said that the commission had also been restructured to eliminate the duplication and overlapping of roles.

    Earlier, Dr Mourtada Deme, Director of Project, UNDP Democratic Governance for Democracy ( DGD), said that the project was designed to strengthen the accountability and responsiveness of social institutions.

    According to Deme, knowing the critical role of the media, the project had priortised media engagement as a primary focus under component four of its programme.

    “The media play a crucial role in keeping citizens engaged in the business of governance, because healthy political process require pluralism and open communication,” he said.

    Deme said that the media could be a champion for the promotion of a well-informed citizenry through clear public communication and provision of information on policies and processes.

  • Ondo bye-election: Militants hijack materials

    Ondo bye-election: Militants hijack materials

    •Soldiers, policemen clash

    Militants yesterday seized election materials earmarked for Arugbo Ward in the Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State in the bye-election for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency.

    The militants demanded compensation from government for them to release the materials.

    Government refused to pay.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, said he suspected a foul play.

    He alleged that the seizure was aimed at frustrating the election in the ward.

    Candidates in the election were: Kolade Akinjo of Labour Party (LP); Adewale Omojuwa of All Progressives Congress (APC), and Adewale Kutute of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) .

    The seat became vacant following the death of Mr. Raphael Nomiye, on November 23, 2013.

    Turn out by voters was quite high especially in In Ese-Odo Local Government Area but the militants made election there impossible.

    Their grievance was that they were marginalised in the amnesty programme for repentant militants by the Federal authorities.

    The materials were seized on the waterways.

    Efforts by security operatives to retrieve the materials proved abortive.

    Kuku, a PDP chieftain said of the seizure: “ we have reported to INEC. I spoke to the State INEC administration officers, Babakorede. I complained to him. I have also spoken to the security agencies, particularly one Lieutenant T.K, who is in charge of security in the riverine area.

    “I also confronted a navy commandant that I heard that a young man stopped the materials from being distributed in that ward.”

    The Jonathan’s aide also alleged that he had been informed by some of his party agents that election materials were relocated from one of the PDP strongholds, New Jerusalem to Arugbo.

    The State Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Akin Orebiyi said the commission had appealed in vain to the youths to cooperate.

    Orebiyi said election for that ward might be cancelled if the youths refused to release the materials.

    The State commissioner for Youths Development and Sports, Mr. Bekekimi Idiehare, alleged that some people who presented fake voter cards were being accredited by INEC despite objections from the LP.

    Voters turnout was low in Ilaje Local Government Area.

    Results of the various units and wards were being moved to the local government collating centre at Ilaje High School in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government at press time.

    A mild drama ensued between some soldiers and mobile policemen at Ajagba Junction as both of them nearly clashed when the policemen attempted to breach a barricade mounted by the soldiers.

    It took the intervention of some senior military officers to stop what could have led to exchange of fire by the two sides.

     

  • UPP canvasses use of electronic voting system

    UPP canvasses use of electronic voting system

    The United Progressive Party (UPP) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the use of the Electronic Voting System (EVS) during the 2015 general elections.

    UPP, however, said: “It is a common knowledge that the greatest challenge to our democracy in Nigeria is the conduct of credible and acceptable election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “The traditional ballot box system has failed repeatedly to meet minimum standard for a credible election. The Nigerian electorate has demonstrated their disappointment and disgust with the system by refusing to participate in electing people into various offices from Local Government up to presidential elections.

    “It is no exaggeration to state that approximately 20% of registered voters in Nigeria actually participate in elections. Twenty per cent participation by any stretch of the imagination does not make for a participatory democracy and cannot result in legitimate mandate.”

    The party, in a letter to Jonathan by its National Chairman, Chekwas Okorie, said the use of EVS will eliminate all the security challenges associated with traditional ballot boxes.

    It added that EVS will save costs and eliminate the violence associated with electioneering.

    The UPP explained: “Queuing at polling stations for a long time which scares decent and security conscious persons from participating will be eliminated.

    “Excessive deployment of security operatives with its attendant abuses will be greatly reduced. Declaring public holidays on election days with heavy opportunity cost to the economy of the nation will be stopped.

    “The fact that INEC already operates electronic voters register containing the bio-data of all eligible voters has made the transition to Electronic Voting System feasible.

    “The few registered voters who do not possess GSM phones or are unable to use it for the purpose of voting may go to polling stations to vote electronically by thumb-printing on the Laptops which are already  available to INEC”.

  • Senate to place burden of proof on INEC

    Senate to place burden of proof on INEC

    A Bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2010 to give additional power to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 2014”, scaled second reading at the Senate yesterday.

    Senator Hadi Sirika (Katsina North), who sponsored the Bill, said if passed into law, it would place the burden of proof of the regularity of any election before any election petition tribunal or courts on the shoulders of INEC, instead of the litigants.

    He said it would also reduce the difficulties petitioners face while trying to get documentary evidence in support of their petitions.

    Sirika noted that the process of proving the regularity or otherwise of an election was burdensome, as it was vested in the petitioner, who did not conduct the poll but only participated in it.

    He said: “The onus of proving the regularity of an election ought to be a burden to be discharged by the body or organisation, which prepared and arranged for the conduct and thereafter went ahead to conduct the poll.

    “It is settled under the law of evidence that ‘he who asserts must prove’. However, this bills seeks otherwise, that is, that the burden of proof of the regularity of the conduct of an election must first of all, shift to the body that conducted the election. “

  • No voting with temporary voter card, says INEC

    No voting with temporary voter card, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said no one will be allowed to vote with a temporary voter card in the June 21 governorship poll.

    INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti at a conference on coming elections.

    The conference was organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    Jega, who was represented by an Assistant Director in the commission, Paul Ayaeze, said INEC planned to conduct subsequent elections in the country with the permanent voter card.

    He said steps were being taken to upgrade the voter register and correct errors in it.

    TMG Chairman Ibrahim Zikirullahi urged parties to intensify efforts on voter education to forestall rigging and other electoral vices.

    Zikirullahi said: “The Ekiti election is upon us and the tempo of election activities is gathering momentum by the day. For stakeholders in the electoral process to make the desired impact in the Ekiti and Osun elections and beyond, it is incumbent upon us to up our games towards making the elections models for 2015 and future elections.

    “As parties intensify their campaigns in Ekiti, they should keep in mind that ultimate power resides with the people and until the people are adequately educated, sensitised and encouraged to participate in the process, the outcome may not be far from what obtained in previous elections.”

    Also yesterday, INEC said it had taken measures to prevent mistakes made at the Anambra State governorship election.

    It said it adopted a series of processes aimed at fine tuning the voter register meant for the election in its bid to deliver a free and fair election in Ekiti State.

    Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Hussaini Pai spoke in Abuja at an event organised by a group, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), to assess INEC’s preparedness for the poll.

  • INEC empowers Presiding Officers to cancel elections

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, said on Thursday that Presiding Officers now had the power to cancel elections if voting materials arrived at polling units late.

    Ikoiwak made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of quiz competition for selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt.

    Ikoiwak said INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had put mechanisms in place to ensure that general elections in 2015 were better than other elections conducted in the country.

    He said INEC was now focused on ending the snatching of ballot boxes at polling stations and other election malpractices.

    “The commission has taken a decision by giving Presiding Officers of polling units the power to cancel election if materials are not there at the time of their arrival.

    “I have told youths that it is not irrelevant to snatch ballot boxes because any form of malpractice and complicity at polling centres will result in cancellation.

    “We cancelled over 300 units in the recent Anambra governorship election because people snatched ballot materials from the polling units.

    “When election is shown to belong to voters; political aspirants will not see the need to rely on godfathers or hire thugs because these people will no longer make the aspirants win election.

    “This zero tolerance policy by INEC will ensure that whosoever takes the materials to their homes to thumb print should also have in mind that we will not accept them”, he said.

    Ikoiwak said INEC was now focused on institutionalising democracy to enable the people to elect their true representatives.

    On the quiz competition, he said it was aimed at inculcating democratic processes and principles in students to enable to them become better leaders in the years to come.

    He said the exercise was designed to sensitise the youths on the functions of INEC with a view to imbibing correct perceptions about election procedures.

    “The competition is running in the six geo -political zones. It will be extended to cover the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

  • INEC, AU, institute for electoral assisstance sign mou

    INEC, AU, institute for electoral assisstance sign mou

    INEC, AU and the International-Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) on Thursday in Abuja signed an MoU, for deployment of Election Risk Management (ERM) tool to the country.

    In his remarks at the signing, INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega said that the partnership by the three organisations was long overdue.

    According to him, Nigeria is the second country in Africa after Kenya to sign the agreement on the election risk management tool.

    Jega explained that Kenya used the ERM tool during the 2013 elections in the country.

    He observed that the tool when in place would help check electoral violence across the country.

    Earlier, Mr Khabele Mathosa, Director of Political Affairs at the AU Commission, said that the AU had played a key role in

    initiating contacts and partners for INEC.

    Mathosa also said that the success of the election risk management tool in Nigeria would bring other African countries on board the project.

    Mr Sead Alihodzic, representative of International-IDEA, said that the tool was designed to empower users to organise peaceful and credible elections.

    He explained that the tool could be customised to meet different country and electoral contexts.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tool would first be used for the  Aug. 9, Osun gubernatorial election.

    The tool would help to identify possible `triggers’ for election related violence before it occurs at different stages of the electoral cycle.

  • INEC sacks Bayelsa admin secretary

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sacked Ms Felicia E. Tobi, Administrative Secretary for Bayelsa state.

    Tobi, a senior officer on grade level 17,  according to the electoral body was sacked for absence from duty.

    INEC management noted that it’s action was in accordance with INEC Staff Condition of Service Section 3.17.

    The decision according to INEC bulletin made available to journalists in Abuja  Wednesday,  was reached during the Commission’s meeting on 20th February, 2014 where her issue was deliberated.

    It reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has retired its Administrative Secretary for Bayelsa state, Ms Felicia E. Tobi.

    “According to the Commission’s Decision Extract issued on 20th February 2014 and signed by the Director (Commission’s Secretariat), Ms, Tobi, a GL 17 officer was retired on grounds of absence from duty.”

    Part of the Extract reads: “The Commission at its meeting held on Thursday, 20th February, 2014 deliberated on the above subject matter (A case of Absence From Duty) and approved the retirement of Ms Felicia E. Tobi from the services of the Commission in accordance with INEC Staff Condition of Service Section 3.17 on compassionate grounds.”

    In another development, INEC in conjunction with UNDP/DGD Project is to host a two-day “Experience Sharing Conference on Best Practices in Election Management” for INEC and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).

    The conference is part of the efforts to improve electoral process in the country. The Conference scheduled is for the 9th and 10th of April 2014 at Asaa Pyramid Hotel in Kaduna.

  • 2015 general elections:INEC trains public affairs officers

    2015 general elections:INEC trains public affairs officers

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it had concluded  arrangement for a two-day workshop for its Public Affairs Officers on its preparations for the 2015 general elections.

    This is contained in the commission’s bulletin issued in Abuja by its Deputy Director, Publicity, Mr Nick Dazang.

    The workshop, taking place in Abuja between April 3 and 4, would update the officers on the Commission’s preparation for the general elections; election timetable and other schedule of activities.

    It said the workshop was organised in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) Project II.

    The statement also said that the workshop would provide the officers the opportunity to look at the voters’ register; guidelines and modalities for continuous voter registration (CVR) and the distribution of permanent voter cards (PVCs).

    It said the participants would discuss the approved communication policy for the Commission.

  • Senate moves to strip Jega of power to appoint INEC’s Secretary

    Senate moves to strip Jega of power to appoint INEC’s Secretary

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega will be stripped of the power to appoint the commission’s secretary, if a bill under consideration by the senate sails through.

    The Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act, 2010 to provide for tenure of office of secretary, power to issue duplicate voter card, determine voting procedure and for other related matters 2014, scaled yesterday the second reading at the Senate.

    The upper chamber also considered a Bill which seeks the conduct of all elections same day.

    The Bill entitled: “An Act to amend the Electoral Act No. 6 of 2010 to provide for the holding of elections on the same date, accreditation of voters by electronic means and to confer on the Independent National Electoral Commission power to cause a debate to be conducted for candidates contesting election for the office of the President and for connected matters,” was sponsored by Senator Abu Ibrahim (Katsina South).

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who led the debate for the provision of tenure for INEC’s secretary, said the Bill seeks to provide a renewable tenure of four years for the position of Secretary of the INEC.

    Ekweremadu said: “The broad aim of the Bill is to build on and consolidate on the gains of the Electoral Act 2010.

    “The positive impact of the Electoral Act has not been a subject of doubt in our effort to operate a reliable electoral process in Nigeria.

    “The Extant Act only empowers the Commission to appoint a secretary without stating how long such a person can remain in that position.

    “The position of a secretary cannot be underestimated in any organisation, and for an election management body, it is proper to tenure the office of the secretary in the Act establishing the office.

    He added: “Furthermore, it has been observed and it is a known fact that ‘lack of time’ has remained a very strong excuse for not doing certain things right or for explaining failure in fulfilling certain responsibility whose cumulative effect undermines the credibility of elections and electoral process.

    “This Bill therefore seeks to : (i) conduct a re-run election from seven to 21 days (though this has constitutional implication, which has been recommended in the Constitution amendment additional report); (ii) receive and treat application for transfer of voters’ card from 30 – 60 days; (iii) receive and treat application for duplicate voters’ card from 30 – 60 days.

    “It also increases the number of days within which parties and candidates can have access to and inspect certified true copies of polling documents.”

    Ibrahim, who is the Deputy Minority Whip, said the import of the amendment which the Bill proposes in Section 25(1) of the Electoral Act No. 6 of 2010 is for holding elections on same day.

    Ibrahim said: “This falls in line with global practices and Nigeria should move in that direction.

    “Indeed, staggered elections are not cost effective and it is not cost efficient; it is expensive and as a country we should follow the example of Ghana, Sierra-Leone, the United States and Venezuela.

    “Taking a look at the colossal amount of money with which INEC executed staggered elections in 2012 and all previous elections in the country, this can be reduced by (1/3), taking into consideration three election weeks which will now hold in just one day, going by our proposed amendment.

    “In 2011 alone, INEC spent about N50 billion. The amount included payment of election duty staff, cost of essential and non-essential materials and logistics for the conduct of the elections. However, the amount did not include the money spent on security personnel assisting INEC in conducting the elections.

    “The same can be said in respect of the political parties. The cost implication in paying party agents, supervisors and other party election monitors can be downsized by one third as well.

    “Quite a number of political parties cannot finance the cost of election due to their meagre resources. In other words, they do not have the resources to protect their votes.

    “If this distinguished Senate gives effect to the amendment being sought, then in effect we are promoting greater participation in the conduct of our elections as these smaller parties can utilise their little resources in participating in only a one-day election.

    “Most importantly also, voter apathy can be greatly minimised if we accept to conduct our elections in one day, indicate that the first election to be conducted, which in most cases the National Assembly election used to witness a larger voter turnout which after the announcement of its result and final conclusion people lose interest in the process due to poor or shoddy handling as witnessed in 2011.

    “In the conduct of that election, INEC entirely cancelled the election and ordered its repeat the following week. The same thing happened during the controversial November 16 Anambra election, which spilled up to Sunday 17th November 2013 and a supplementary election ordered.

    “Voters refused to show up on the day of the supplementary election, thereby recording a low voter turnout of between 24-36 per cent in most of the polling units due to general dissatisfaction by all the major political parties i.e. APC, PDP, Labour Party and the rest.

    “I submit that such voters’ apathy can be avoided if INEC can organise a hitch-free , credible election in just one day.

    “The participation of international donor agencies. The international and local observers, money and time being spent in staggered elections can as well be minimised when a one-day election is conducted.

    “One thing we must do to ensure that the 2015 elections are more credible than the last four rounds is to lend your support for this amendment to scale through so that all elections are conducted on the same day.”

    Ibrahim called for amendment of Section 47 of the Electoral Act to make provisions for the use of Direct Data Capture machines at all polling units.

    He noted that the development would restore confidence in the electorate and improve the quality of elections.

    He said: “With Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), Nigerians will have a chance at free and fair elections. Without it, we are doomed to fail again considering our tainted electoral history.”

    Ibrahim called for a provision to empower INEC to conduct a national presidential debate for aspirants.

    Senate President David Mark, who summarised the contributions of Senators, said: “It is not what we put down on paper that is going to make the difference. It is the capacity of INEC to do a free and fair election with minimal logistical problems that would make all the difference.

    “Whether we can do all the elections in one day or just one election, if the materials don’t show up, then whether it’s one election or all the elections, it becomes meaningless.

    “I think what we want to do is ask INEC and then from their own experience gradually begin to do elections that would be credible, that would be accepted by both the losers and the winners.

    “I know it is very difficult for losers in this country to accept that an election is free and fair, but at least if we generally agree that it has been reasonably managed, then there would be less litigation from it.

    “I am, however, a bit worried about one thing which Abaribe said. Why should voters come and first do accreditation and then they sit down there?

    “Why can’t they do accreditation, vote and then go away?

    “Because then you decongest the area, and people can go and do other things. Most people don’t come for election because they don’t want to devote the whole day to the election.

    “I think the issue of the appointment of INEC secretary was simply an oversight on our part. There is no debate about that.

    “For one reason or the other, we just didn’t remember because everybody was worried about the commissioners and the chairman and simply forgot about the secretary of INEC.”

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) called on INEC to ensure that the 2015 elections are not just be free, fair and credible but should not lead to incessant litigations.

    He added: “I do not believe that we did the right thing by empowering INEC to appoint its Secretary and now coming back to set the tenure limit.

     

    “When you leave the appointment of secretary to INEC, what stops the chairman from appointing his crony or brother to be Secretary!

    “I suggest that the power to appoint secretary should be removed from INEC just the way the appointment of the chairman is not to be done by INEC. The President should appoint both the chairman and the secretary.”

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said the position of the secretary of INEC is of equal importance with that of its Chairman and that of other commissions.

    Ndoma-Egba said: “I think it is odd to reside the power to appoint secretary in INEC.”

    Senator Ayogu Eze (Enugu North) wondered why the National Assembly did not know that it was abnormal to empower the INEC chairman to appoint the secretary to the Commission.

    He said: “How did we not realise or wake up to it all these while that it is the INEC chairman that appoints the secretary of INEC?

    “The President should bring the nomination of INEC secretary along with other national commissioners.”

    The Bills, which scaled second reading were committed to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and INEC for further work.